Frankie Bridge has shared her shock after doctors found a lump in her neck.
The Saturdays singer, 36, revealed she was “knocked sideways” when medical professionals discovered a benign tumour after having an MRI scan. She went for the check following constant headaches, and was left thinking “the worst” after doctors told her what they had found.
To mark her birthday, Frankie decided to open up on the health scare and the impact it has had on her. “This year after finally going to a doctor about my daily headaches and having an MRI, they discover a tumour in my neck,” she shared. “The call knocked me sideways, they had no idea what it was at the time and I obviously thought the worst.”
The Loose Women star added: “I was so angry at myself for not going to the doctors sooner. I was convinced I was now dying and I probably could have done something to avoid it. Luckily for me, that wasn’t the case.” Frankie revealed the tumour is a benign subependymoma, which is very rare. It also has nothing to do with her headaches.
The lump was growing on her spinal cord and down the length of her neck. Doctors have decided not to remove it for now but will monitor for any changes. Frankie admitted: “It made me realise that things can be happening within my body and I’d have no idea. This thing has been growing there for probably my whole life.
“There’s so many other things that could be doing exactly the same and I could have avoided them. Turns out the headaches are due to stress. I have gut issues also, due to stress. We know many cancers and illnesses can be exasperated or brought on by stress, yet every time a doctor tells me to find the time to ‘manage my stess’ I just laugh.
“I have depression, anxiety, two kids, a husband, a job and many other factors of my life that like everyone create stress. Stress is just a part of my everyday life. I’ll take all the pills to mask all they symptoms, instead of actually addressing it. Until now….” She concluded: “I expect myself to be 100% at all times, at all things. Even though I’ve always known this is impossible, it hasn’t stopped me from trying an then punishing myself everyday that I haven’t succeeded.
“And to be honest with you, I’ve had enough. It doesn’t work for me, or for anyone else in my life.” Last year, Frankie decided to open up on the tumour while on Loose Women. She revealed she had been hyper-concerned about her health given her beloved mum’s cancer battle.
The mum-of-two said: “I thought it was my time, I thought I was going to be sick for a long time, or you know, that it would be the end for me. I did think straight away that I was going to die. I had to hold it together for the boys but luckily for the me, the outcome was good. It’s really rare, they only came across it because they were scanning me for my headaches.”
The Macmillan Support Line offers confidential support to people living with cancer and their loved ones. If you need to talk, call us on 0808 808 0000.
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